Born To Be More

Protecting Angel

Max

This week has been hell.

I’ve been on edge every damn day, feeling out of control—and I’m not a man who tolerates chaos well. Raine’s been shadowed by my best team, but it’s not enough. It will never be enough until I eliminate every threat to her. I finally found her. I won’t lose her.

Ever.

I link Rion.

"I’m on my way."

"Copy. She’s good. I’m staying until you get here."

At least that gives me some relief. Raine’s become someone to all of us—fierce, funny, a straight shooter. She challenges me constantly, and yeah, I rub her the wrong way when I try to take control. But I won’t stop. I’ll piss her off every damn day if that’s what it takes to keep her safe.

I step into the apartment and immediately hear her voice—sharp, angry.

"f**k’s sake, Rion, just say it—don’t dance around it!"

Oh, hell.

I move into the room just in time to hear Rion trying to redirect.

"Raine, I just want to make sure your meeting with the lawyer is secured, including an escort from the airport—"

I clear my throat, loud. Both their heads snap toward me. Raine looks pissed. Rion looks... guilty.

"You okay, Angel?" I ask her, eyes narrowing as I glance at Rion.

He links me immediately.

"She’s relentless. I didn’t want to say anything until we were both here, but she got it out of me."

"Out with it. Now."

"It’s her Aunty. She’s working with Mark. She posted his bail."

My jaw clenches. Aunty? Her f*****g Aunty?

Raine crosses her arms. She’s staring between us, fuming. "Seriously? Can you both not link around me like I’m not in the goddamn room? It’s rude."

I stride across the room, pull her gently into my arms, and press a soft kiss to her lips. She stiffens for a heartbeat, but then melts into me.

"Sorry, Angel," I murmur. "Rion just told me... about your Aunty. I’m so f*****g sorry, baby."

I wrap her up tightly. She’s trembling, barely, but I feel it. It guts me.

"I’ve got you," I whisper against her hair. "No one’s going to hurt you. Not her. Not Mark. No one."

She’s mine—and I’ll burn down anyone who forgets that.

Raine wraps her arms around me and holds on tightly. Her voice is quiet, but the edge of worry bleeds through.

“Rion just explained the lawyer coming might have something to do with my Aunty… or Mark. I’m a little worried.”

I glance over at Rion, who’s already stepping in.

“I suggested we organize secure escort for the lawyer,” he says. “And from now on, Raine, make sure Tiffany treats all your meetings as confidential. We can’t have people knowing your whereabouts—not with Mark still sniffing around.”

“But the brands love the hype,” Raine says. “One of the reps actually said it gives them more credibility when I visit—even if I haven’t signed a contract yet.”

I shake my head. “If they want you badly enough, they’ll play by our rules. No more open schedules. No more unprotected access. They don’t get you without proving they can keep you safe.”

Rion clears his throat. “Okay—full disclosure,” he says, glancing at both of us. “Here’s what I know so far.”

Raine tenses in my arms.

“Your Aunty hired Mark,” Rion continues. “We don’t know why yet, but she paid for his flight, posted his bail—she got him out fast. He’s not just some rogue. He’s got a team helping stir s**t with the media. Fake stories, fake sightings, rumors—they’re trying to rattle us and isolate Raine.”

I feel my jaw lock. Rage coils in my chest.

Rion goes on, more cautiously now. “And there’s one more thing. I think this lawyer’s visit is tied to your birthday, Raine. I don’t have proof yet, but something about it smells off. I’ll be calling your New Zealand pack tonight—see what they know. And… I may need to speak to your parents.”

His voice drops on that last part, like he’s testing the waters.

Raine is quiet for a moment, then nods slowly. “Okay,” she says. “If they know something, we need to find out.”

I squeeze her gently, my lips brushing her temple. “We’ll handle this, Angel. One piece at a time. But I promise you this—your Aunty, Mark, whoever’s pulling strings behind the scenes? They’re not going to win.”

I walk Rion to the door, keeping my voice low. “Thanks for staying with her.”

He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “Sorry she got it all out of me before you got home. She’s… strangely persuasive.”

I smirk. “Yeah. I know.”

I clap him on the shoulder, sending him on his way before heading back into the apartment. I find her in the kitchen, her back to me as she puts her cup in the sink. “How about we order in tonight?” I offer.

She turns, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sounds good. Max… can we talk?”

Shit. The four most dangerous words in the universe.

I nod, keeping my tone casual. “Sure, Angel. I’ll order us some Italian, then we’ll catch up.”

I make the call, placing our usual order while stripping off my tie and jacket, tossing them over the back of a chair. By the time I step into the lounge, she’s curled up on the couch, legs tucked under her, looking small but determined.

I know that look. She’s been turning something over in that sharp little mind of hers.

I sit down next to her and pull her legs over my lap. “Alright, Angel. I’m all yours. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

Grabbing a seat beside her, I wrap my arms around her and pull her in close. Her body fits against mine like it was made to be there. I rest my chin on her head. “Go ahead, Angel,” I say, keeping my voice calm even though I’m already bracing myself for whatever’s coming.

She exhales shakily. “Max, I’m worried about my birthday… and what’s going to happen when my wolf comes forward. I’m nervous about meeting a lawyer I’ve only spoken to on the phone. And I don’t understand why my aunty wants to hurt me. I mean, I knew she didn’t like me much growing up, but she was never cruel—just cold. Now she’s… helping Mark?” Her voice cracks slightly.

I tighten my hold on her. “Angel, listen to me. You won’t face any of this alone. I want to take you back to the pack grounds for your birthday—your wolf’s first shift is a big deal, and I believe that’ll be the safest place for you. Tyson agrees. We’ll have Doc on hand if we need him.”

She nods against my chest, her voice quiet. “Will you come to the meeting with the lawyer too?”

I smile, brushing my lips against her temple. “Angel, I’m not just coming with you—I’m bringing the lawyer to you. That meeting happens on our terms, and I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

She pulls back slightly and looks up at me, eyes wide with surprise. “That’s not how I thought this conversation was going to go.”

“Oh really?” I ask, raising a brow.

“Well…” she shrugs. “I thought you were going to argue with me about going to the pack for my birthday. And I definitely expected some big Alpha energy about letting you come with me to the meeting.”

I laugh, the sound easing some of the tension between us. “Angel, I’m always going to be by your side when it counts. Especially when it counts. And there’s nothing in this world that could keep me from making sure you’re safe—physically, emotionally, all of it. So yeah, I’m coming.”

She softens, her fingers tracing lightly over the buttons of my shirt. “Thank you, Max.”

“You don’t have to thank me for protecting what’s mine,” I say, kissing her slow and deep. “I’ve got you, Angel. Always.”

I’m wickedly surprised this has gone my way after the week of her pushing back on everything.

“I know I’ve been a bit bitchy,” she says, pinching my side, “but like I said, I have a brain—and I’m not afraid to use it.”

I throw her down onto the couch and pin her wrists above her head. “A bit bitchy? That’s it?” I tease, nipping at her neck.

“Well, when you act like a wank-nut, what do you expect?” she smirks.

I pause, laughing. “Did you just call me a wank-nut?”

“Yup.”

“Jesus, woman…” I shake my head, grinning. “What the hell am I going to do with you?”

“Lots, I hope.”

That’s all it takes—I crash my mouth onto hers and kiss her like I’ve been starving for it. My d**k reacts instantly, pressing hard against her, making her squirm beneath me. I hold her tighter, rocking against her slowly, deliberately, watching the flush creep up her chest.

She gasps as I bite her lower lip and soothe it with my tongue, just about ready to take this all the way—

BZZZZT.

The intercom buzzes loudly.

I groan and launch off the couch, adjusting myself quickly while she glares up at me, writhing and breathless. “That’s what you get for calling me a wank-nut—whatever the hell that means,” I say, smirking as I walk over to the intercom.

“Mr. Crawford, your dinner has arrived. Nate will bring it up now,” Smithy says through the intercom.

“Thanks, Smith,” I reply, letting go of the button.

The weekend feels like something out of a dream—just me and my mate, wandering New York together. I never thought I’d get this, not with the life I live. But I soaked in every second of it. Every laugh, every stolen kiss, every look she gave me like I was hers. Because I am.

But Raine’s rising popularity has made things... complicated.

Everywhere we go, someone’s watching. Paparazzi hound us like shadows. Her face is on billboards, massive digital boards in Times Square, posters in windows, bus stops, the goddamn side of a taxi. Today, she graces the covers of half a dozen gossip magazines—and I can’t decide whether to be proud or pissed off.

She deserves this success, but it’s getting harder to protect her. Harder to keep our moments ours. And as her fame grows, so does the danger.

I must be dreaming. Her mouth on me first thing in the morning? Hell, no man would complain about waking up like this.

“Angel, get up here, baby—I need to be inside you,” I rasp, voice thick with lust.

She lets out a soft laugh, and I pull her up, flipping her onto her back.

“Good morning, Mr. Wolf,” she teases.

“Good morning, my Angel,” I whisper, capturing her mouth in a deep, claiming kiss.

My hand trails down her body, exploring the soft curves I crave. She’s already slick with need, her body just as eager as mine. “So wet for me,” I murmur, teasing her, circling her sweet spot, driving her wild.

She moans my name, and that’s it—my restraint shatters. I press into her slowly, savoring every inch until we’re connected, fully, completely.

And then I move, hard and deep, chasing that rhythm we’ve perfected—until there’s nothing left but tangled limbs, shallow breaths, and a bed full of heat.

“Thank you for this weekend,” she says softly, washing my back.

“You’re welcome, Angel,” I reply, turning to press a kiss to her forehead. “I love you. You know that, right? I’ll always try to make you happy, whenever and however I can.”

“I love you too, Max,” she says, and Tyson purrs in contentment.

My wolf has been unusually quiet lately—patient, yes, which is rare for him—but distant. I know he’s been connecting with Shyla when he can, guiding her forward. Still, it feels like something’s building beneath the surface.

“So... will I see you at lunch today?” I ask.

She shrugs slightly. “Not sure, Max. I’m working for Chic again—we’ve got a shoot out on Staten Island today.”

I frown. “Since when? I thought you were scheduled to be in the studio for the next couple of weeks.”

She sighs. “Yeah, that changed apparently. It’s a beach shoot.” Her brows lift in disbelief. “They do know it’s winter, right? I’m probably going to freeze my ass off.”

“Well, make sure your security team is updated, Angel,” I say, just as Rion, Sam, and Tiffany step into the apartment.

“Morning, team!” Raine calls out from the kitchen.

“Coffee,” Rion grunts, heading straight for the machine.

I roll my eyes. “Dude, she’s got you hooked.”

He just frowns and links me privately. I spoke to Raine’s old pack last night. I need to fill you in.

Shit. That tone is never good. Wait until they leave, I link back, watching him pour out cups like he’s avoiding a deeper conversation.

“You boys got Staten Island locked down?” I ask, switching gears.

“Yup,” Sam replies. “Last-minute change came in yesterday, but we’re solid.”

“Good. Her lawyer—when’s he landing?”

“We’ll confirm that today,” Rion says, glancing at me.

“Keep it tight,” I warn. “The fewer people who know about this, the better. Just us and Raine. No one else.”

I kissed Raine goodbye, but Tyson was pacing like a caged animal in my head, making me grind my teeth with unease.

“Love you, Angel,” I said, cupping her face briefly before Sam ushered her and Tiffany down the hall. The moment the door clicked shut, I turned on Rion.

“Spill it.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I spoke to the Alpha and Raine’s parents last night.”

I froze mid-step. Tyson stilled too, then went completely silent.

“They want to see her. All of them.”

I ran a hand down my face, already pacing. f**k. Now I was mirroring Tyson’s anxious rhythm.

“Go on,” I snapped.

Rion leaned on the counter, watching me closely. “We already knew she was a blue wolf. One of a kind. But what we didn’t know—not fully—is who she really is. Her father’s from the royal bloodline, Max. He left his pack as a pup, fled the pressure, and ended up in New Zealand, raised by another couple who kept him hidden.”

My chest tightened. “So she’s royalty?”

“More than that,” Rion said. “The blue wolf is tied to prophecy. Balance. Change. The old texts talk about her kind appearing only in times of great unrest to reset what’s broken. Max…” He hesitated, then looked me dead in the eye. “She’s immortal. At least, that’s what the books say. The only known female blue wolf in generations—and she can’t die.”

My vision blurred at the edges for a second. I gripped the back of a chair, trying to ground myself. Immortal. That wasn’t just rare—it was f*****g legendary.

“Does she know?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“No,” Rion replied. “Not yet. Her parents wanted to wait until after her shift. They thought keeping her in hiding would delay the attention she’d attract—especially from the wrong kind of people.”

“Too late for that,” I muttered, thinking of Mark and her aunt, and whoever else had caught wind of what Raine really was.

Tyson’s voice echoed in my head for the first time in hours: We cannot lose her, Max. She’s everything.

“I need her back in the pack before her birthday,” I said. “This changes everything.”

“She started showing signs at nine,” Rion continued. “Little things—calming wild animals, calling nature, healing. Her mother thinks she could also make people tell the truth.”

I sat down hard, elbows on my knees, dragging my hands down my face as I tried to process the weight of what he was saying. f**k. This was bigger than I thought.

“Is there more?” I asked, even though I already knew there was.

Rion didn’t hesitate. “You’re going to love this,” he said, voice dry. “Her so-called aunt? Not even related to her. She’s the Alpha’s sister—Raine’s father’s pack—so she was just a convenient caretaker. They paid her to raise Raine, told her Raine’s parents were dead and that Raine was human. Nothing more.”

My fists clenched. That b***h had kept her in the dark her entire life for a paycheck?

“She doesn’t know who she is, Rion,” I muttered.

“Not even close,” he replied.

I looked up. “What about her wolf? How the hell has it stayed hidden for so long?”

“Apparently the blue wolf only comes forward at her 24th birthday or once she mates—fully mates—with her fated. That’s you, Max. You triggered her awakening. The dreams, the heat, her instincts kicking in—they all started after you met.”

I leaned back, stunned.

“And one more thing,” Rion added, his tone shifting. “Her father—when he inherited what was left of the royal bloodline—he placed it all under Raine’s name. On her eleventh birthday.”

I stilled. “All of it?”

“Yeah. Land. Titles. Power. Money. It’s all hers. That’s why the lawyer’s coming. It’s all about to unlock.”

I sat there in silence, Tyson pacing like a beast in my head.

“She’s the key, Max,” Rion said. “To everything.”

“Christ, Rion,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair. “Do you think her aunt’s after her for the money or the bloodline?”

“We don’t know yet,” he said. “But people are starting to sniff around. The receptionist downstairs? She was fired this morning.”

I froze. “Why?”

“She called the media. Set Raine up.” His face was grim. “We think Mark was paying her off or has some kind of connection to her.”

I stood up, fury buzzing under my skin. “You’re telling me someone in her own damn building was working with Mark and we just let her go?”

“It’s all we could do at the time, Max,” Rion replied evenly. “We had no legal grounds to hold her.”

I slammed my fist on the counter, making the coffee mugs rattle. “Perfect. So now we’ve got a disgruntled insider running loose with God knows what information.”

“Yup,” he said, tension rising. “And no, Raine doesn’t know yet.”

“f**k!” I roared, pacing hard. Tyson growled in my head, claws scraping to get out. Every layer of protection I’d built around her was full of holes. Too many people were playing games, and now it was personal.

“She’s not going to get blindsided again,” I growled. “I want a name and address on that b***h. I want a full history. I want every camera she walked past pulled and every account she’s touched frozen.”

Rion nodded. “Already on it. Sam’s pulling her phone records now.”

I texted Raine to see if she was OK. "Rion, have you been in contact with the lawyer?" I asked.

"No. When I called, they pretended she didn’t exist," he said.

That only added to my growing unease. I shot Raine another message:

[Baby, text me back. Are you OK?]

My phone rang almost immediately. It was her.

"Hi, Angel," I answered quickly.

"Max, is everything OK? You’ve texted me twice. I’m just getting on the ferry to the island," she said.

"Angel, I’m fine. I just needed to check on you," I told her. I could feel Tyson pacing in the back of my mind, his unease matching mine.

"I’m fine, Max. Honestly. The ferry’s just… really crowded. Makes me a little nervous, but I’ll see you when I get back," she said with a light laugh. "And you do know I’m not exactly attached to my phone, right?"

I sighed. "Angel, just be safe. I’ll check in later, OK?"

"OK, Max. Bye," she said before hanging up.

"Rion, check in with Sam and Craig. Make sure everything is in place for Raine," I tell him.

We’re back in my office, going over new contracts for the tech development arm of my company—the side of the business that usually excites me. But today, I can’t focus.

"Max, everything is in place. The guys would call if it wasn’t. You only spoke to her an hour ago," Rion says.

I raise a brow at him, not saying a word. He sighs.

"Fine. I’ll call, OK?"

Before he can even touch his phone, it rings. He answers and immediately frowns.

"Sam?" he says.

My gut drops. Tyson lets out a feral howl in my head.

"Put him on speaker. Now," I snap.

Rion does as I ask, and I brace myself.

"What's wrong, Sam?" I ask, already knowing I won’t like the answer.

"She’s gone."